barbell

American

[bahr-bel] / ˈbɑrˌbɛl /

noun

an apparatus used in weight-lifting, consisting of a bar with replaceable, disk-shaped weights fastened to the ends.

barbell British

/ ˈbɑːˌbɛl /

noun

a metal rod to which heavy discs are attached at each end for weightlifting exercises

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barbell

First recorded in 1885–90; bar ¹ + bell ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“People are looking for some of that barbell optionality in LatAm financials and commodities,” he says.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Iko, a newcomer, started with a Micro Mini Cart that can hold barbell weights.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

According to Subramanian, U.S. asset owners have largely replaced active equity funds with a barbell of the S&P 500 — owned largely through index funds — and private equity.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 21, 2025

Woods erupted, raising his fists in front of him as if curling an imaginary barbell, and the gallery behind him unleashed a roar.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025

Golly rolls his eyes as he adds a forty-five-pound plate to each end of the barbell.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023